1986 GMC C10 - Domino Effect

An '86 GMC Built in Memoriam

A good majority of show trucks start out life as simple daily drivers. Their owners will then add wheels, suspension mods, maybe paint, and more and more until there is no looking back. That is essentially how Mike Czepak of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, started on his '86 GMC C10. Mike's dad helped him buy the truck in 1997. Mike made a few modifications to it until it was involved in an accident. The truck then sat for several years with little to no work being performed. Mike's dad died in 2008 right after Mike decided to start fixing the truck up again. This time Mike had all the motivation he needed; he was building it for his dad.

Mike wanted to build a no-holds-barred head turner that his dad would be proud of, so he handed the keys of his C10 over to the guys at Kaotic Kustoms in Langley, British Columbia. To begin the build, the truck was completely disassembled, the engine was removed, and the factory suspension was discarded. The frame was shaved of all unnecessary holes and ground smooth. The new suspension consisted of Belltech drop spindles, Strong Arm control arms, and Slam Specialties 'bags. After fabricating a notch in the rear, a custom-triangulated four-link and another pair of 'bags was installed. KYB shocks were installed for pothole relief and Foose Nitrous wheels wrapped in Pirelli rubber for rolling stock. The rolling frame was then set aside to work on the engine.

The truck had a 350ci in it before it was wrecked. This engine was scrapped in favor of a GM Performance Parts 572ci big-block. But a stock 572ci engine wouldn't suffice for Mike's needs, so it was boosted with a massive ProCharger supercharger. At just 8 psi, the engine makes more than 1,000 hp. If upped to 16 psi, it would be making an astonishing 1,200-plus horsepower. The engine was mated to a TH400 transmission with a Gear Vender overdrive and dropped into the framerails. Work could now commence on the body.

Since bodywork isn't Kaotic Kustoms' specialty, the truck was taken to Willowbrook Collision, also in Langley, British Columbia. To begin, just about all of the unnecessary body parts were shaved and a '91 Blazer grille surround was swapped in. Next, the bed floor was cut out and a wood floor was installed. The tailgate was then molded in the bedsides and the whole truck was meticulously prepped to get it ready for several coats of blue and black paint with a silver graphic breaking up the two-tone. With the paint handled, the GMC went back to Kaotic to be reassembled and to have the interior updated.

A custom dash and center console were fiberglassed and painted to match the truck. Bucket seats were created to flank the center console and wrapped in black and blue leather. In the custom dash, a touch-screen Kenwood head unit was installed and connected to various speakers throughout the cab, including four shallow-mount subs behind the seats.

Mike was not at all surprised by the feedback that his truck received when he unveiled it. At the Sittin' Pretti truck show in Arlington, Washington, the GMC took home four trophies, including Best of Show. Mike wanted to thank all the guys at Kaotic Kustoms for helping him build this truck in dedication to his father.